Biodesix Inc. announced today that they are one of the winners of the 2010 Colorado Companies to Watch award. Colorado Companies to Watch is a dynamic business recognition program honoring second-stage companies headquartered in the state of Colorado that are developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and building new industries throughout the state.
In addition to being evaluated on past growth and projected success, applicants are also judged according to their special strengths. These special strengths revolve around a company’s innovative products and business practices, special use of technology, work within their community and more.
“We are honored to be recognized as a Colorado Company to Watch,” commented David Brunel, Biodesix Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased that the selection committee, including members from the business community, the Governor’s office and Colorado Biz magazine, has recognized our innovative work in the field of personalized medicine.”
Biodesix has developed and commercialized VeriStrat®, a pretreatment serum test that identifies patients with advanced non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are likely or not likely to benefit from therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs). Studies have shown that VeriStrat correlates with survival outcomes and is predictive of objective response and disease control in advanced NSCLC patients treated with EGFRIs. Because the test requires a simple blood draw and results are returned within 72 hours, VeriStrat offers a non-invasive method to help oncologists guide treatment decisions quickly.
Selection criteria for Colorado Companies to Watch includes being privately held, growth focused, having 6 to 99 employees, and having annual revenue of $750,000 to $50 million. Criteria for second-stage companies, developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation, were adopted by the Colorado Companies to Watch advisory board after conducting research that determined companies meeting this criteria account for most of the economic growth, community development and economic independence of individuals, not only in Colorado but nationally.
About Biodesix
Biodesix is a personalized medicine company focused on the development of diagnostic products that inform treatment decisions and improve patient care. In 2009, Biodesix launched VeriStrat®, a serum-based proteomic test to help physicians guide treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. VeriStrat is based on ProTS®, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles that characterize a patient’s condition or likely outcome in response to therapy. The ProTS® platform has broad application and provides the foundation for collaborations with leading researchers as well as partnerships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies seeking to develop companion diagnostics and improve the targeting of their therapies. For more information about Biodesix, please visit the Company’s website at www.Biodesix.com.
